Blog | Updating Packing Profiles

February 01, 2023

Updating Packing Profiles

Ralph Hamm, Customer Service Manager

Several recent communications with different customers reminded me of the importance of discussing and updating packing profiles. At Friesens, we work with a wide variety of customers. Some customers are very familiar with packing profiles and others might be questioning what it is and why it is important. Each distributor, retailer, and storage facility might have specific requirements for how books should be packed, what content needs to appear on the carton label, or on the shipping paperwork. This is the basic overarching information that makes up a packing profile. a profile can also be quite specific and detailed. Some warehouses will provide specific information on carton sizes, carton label location, specific pallet sizes. maximum pallet heights and weights etc. The book manufacturing process is becoming more automated, as are the warehouses that receive and store the books for future distribution. Handling this product efficiently on both sides of the equation is important to us, to you and your distributor.

Example of a packing profile

Warehouses or distributors that have detailed requirements will have a guide or manual. It is important that you review this document so that you are aware of their requirements. Failure to follow their guidelines can result in fines or service fees to correct the error. After you have reviewed the document, it should be forwarded to your Friesens Book Project Specialist. We use the information that is relevant to our production and shipping practices to create a profile. This database is attached to each one of your projects and is referenced electronically by all packing and shipping staff.

Your distributor might also create profiles for each one of the titles they receive, such as the number of books per carton for each full carton of a specific title. They might also record the country of origin. It is important for you to communicate if there are changes to your distributor if titles are moved from a prior location in the US to Canada.

On average, we ship over one hundred different titles each week. Knowing the requirements for packing and shipping allows us to manage this portion of the production process efficiently. Getting a quality product at the end of the production process is a central focus of customers. Working with and understanding the packing requirements may seem like a minor detail when bringing a book to life, but attention to these details will prevent delays in getting your books distributed after they are in the warehouse.

Please contact your Friesens Book Project Specialist if you require additional information or need assistance in deciphering instructions from your distributor.